Road Safety Intersections Essay - 1016 Words

Introduction In modern days, society is entrusted with the responsibility of using one of the most accessible pieces of potentially dangerous pieces of machinery. With the rates of injuries and fatalities caused by vehicles continuously increasing, it has become the role of engineers to evaluate and improve the measures taken to prevent further damage. One major aspect of road safety is intersections, where the possibility of collisions is very high. 20% of all accidents occur within 100m intersections (K.W Ogden, 2001). The intersection that will be discussed in this report is the Broadwater Rd and Newnham Rd intersection at Wishart. This intersection is subjected to steep inclines and in some cases sight distance was largely hindered,†¦show more content†¦Madden, 2007). It will be assumed in further discussion that friction is the only resistance force acting on vehicles to allow negative acceleration. Also, other resistance forces such as air resistance will be neglected. The process of braking begins with applying force to the brake pedal, eventuating to brake pads in the front wheels generating friction with the rotor and brake shoes in the rear wheels generating friction with the drum (How Car Brake Works, 2012). As friction opposes motion, the spinning components are brought to rest by converting kinetic energy to heat energy. The pressure with which the brake pads and shoes act, dictate whether the vehicle negatively accelerates due to static or sliding friction. When different sections of the wheel are in contact with the road, it is regarded as static friction (Logbook pg2). Conversely, if only one section of the wheel is in contact with the road, it is regarded as sliding friction. The coefficient of friction increase with the resistance of the surfaces to move past each other, thus; the coefficient of sliding friction is less than that of static friction (Townsend, 2002). This drop in the friction acting against the motion of the vehicle locks its brake s, making it very difficult for the driver to control the vehicle. Therefore, to prevent this from happening, the anti-locking brake system is a standard safety feature in most vehicles (Royal Automobile Club ofShow MoreRelatedShared Space : Vulnerable Users1041 Words   |  5 Pagesconverted from driving on the left side of the road to the right, this was followed by a reduced traffic fatality rate for eighteen months after which the fatality figures returned to their original value, as before the change. He suggested that drivers perceived the change as dangerous and greater risk therefore reducing speed and taking care, only to revert to previous habits as they become accustomed to the new regime. 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